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Proliferation in ParliamentBack to Proliferation in Parliament, Summer 2008 Westminster ParliamentKey to Column Numbering
Nuclear Non-Proliferation & Disarmament
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, Written Answers, 22 July 2008 : Column 1123WJim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to propose changes to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and if he will make a statement. Dr. Howells: The nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) has served
the international community well. It remains the foundation of international
non-proliferation efforts and a key contribution to collective peace and
security. The UK does not plan to reopen the NPT for negotiation. But
we are committed to a successful NPT review conference in 2010 and will
work to promote consensus around key measures to strengthen the treaty’s
three pillars: zero tolerance of proliferation; a clear forward plan on
multilateral nuclear disarmament; and supporting the right to the safe,
secure and peaceful use of nuclear energy. Nuclear Free Zones, Written Answers, 3 July 2008 : Column 1128WTony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what factors are taken into account when deciding whether to sign the protocols of nuclear-free zones. Dr. Howells [holding answer 1 July 2008]: The UK supports the creation of nuclear weapon-free zones in accordance with the Principles and Guidelines in annex I of the report of the 54th session of the UN Disarmament Commission (http://disarmament.un.org/undiscom.htm). These principles and guidelines state, for example, that the nuclear-weapon states should be consulted during the negotiations of each treaty and its relevant protocol/protocols. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which protocols of nuclear-free zones the UK is a signatory. Dr. Howells [holding answer 1 July 2008]: The UK has signed and ratified the protocols to the treaties of Tlatelolco (Latin America and the Caribbean) and Raratonga (South Pacific) as well as the relevant protocols of the treaty of Pelindaba (Africa), collectively giving treaty-based negative security assurances to over 100 countries. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to sign the protocols of those nuclear-free zones for which the UK is not yet a signatory. Dr. Howells [holding answer 1 July 2008]: The UK supports the
principle of both the South-East Asia and Central Asia nuclear weapon-free
zones. The UK continues to seek ways to overcome the difficulties that
pertain to the treaties of Bangkok and Semipalatinsk so that we can ratify
protocols to these treaties. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials
continue to have discussions with representatives of members of the Association
of South-East Asian Nations and the Central Asian States (the C5) to resolve
these difficulties. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 2 July 2008 : Column 1007WMr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the proposal by President Sarkozy for a nuclear disarmament action plan; and whether he plans to discuss this matter with his French counterpart. Dr. Howells: The Government welcomes the proposals made by President
Sarkozy in his 21 March 2008 speech and expanded upon in France’s White
Paper on Defence and National Security, published 17 June 2008. UK officials
are working closely with their French opposite numbers to explore how
progress can be made on each element of the plan. The UK is currently
pursuing a number of disarmament initiatives, which complement the French
proposals. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 30 Jun 2008 : Column 615WJohn Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South of 5 June 2008, Official Report, column 1062W, on nuclear disarmament, what (a) structure and (b) timetable he plans to establish for the technical conference of P5 nuclear laboratories on the verification of nuclear disarmament. Des Browne: As stated in my response on 5 June 2008, the offer
is for a P5 conference hosted by the UK rather than a UK conference to
which the P5 states are simply invited. Therefore, the structure and timetable,
as well as any subsequent publicity, will need to be mutually agreed by
all five participating states. MOD and FCO officials continue to actively
engage with their P5 counterparts and I will keep the house informed of
progress. North Korea: Nuclear Weapons, Written Answers, 23 Jun 2008 : Column 79WMr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has received representations from the International Atomic Energy Agency seeking clarification of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's legal status under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and what UK policy is on this matter. David Miliband: In Dr. ElBaradei's Introductory Statement to the Board
of Governors on 2 June, he asked for guidance from states parties about
the status of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) under the
nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). We have not received any direct
representation from the International Atomic Energy Agency on this point.
We continue to regard DPRK as being a state party to the NPT because it
has not followed the correct treaty withdrawal procedures. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 18 Jun 2008 : Column 925WMr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2008, Official Report, column 3W, on nuclear disarmament, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research undertaken on verification of multilateral nuclear disarmament by AWE in partnership with Norway and Vertic; and what the cost was of the contract with the International Institute for Strategic Studies to which reference is made. Meg Munn: The Atomic Weapons Establishment reported to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee in May on the progress of their work to date and the future direction of their studies. I will place a copy of this report in the Library of the House. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided £10,000 last financial year
to support the study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies
through a technical workshop. We are also prepared to offer funding for
a launch event and discussion in Geneva in September. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 9 Jun 2008 : Column 3WMr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 18 July 2007, Official Report, column 409W, on nuclear disarmament, what progress has been made by the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston in taking forward proposals to develop a disarmament laboratory. Dr. Howells: The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is continuing to undertake research into the technical aspects of verifying multilateral nuclear disarmament. This forms part of a series of wider activities announced in June 2007 by my right hon. Friend, the then Foreign Secretary (Margaret Beckett) to make the UK a 'Disarmament Laboratory'. AWE's research so far, partly in partnership with Norway and the non-governmental organisation, Verification Education, Research and Information Centre, was presented to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee in Geneva in May. Although this research is expected to take a number of years, we have made a good start. For example, we are looking forward to undertaking 'managed access' simulation to a nuclear facility in Norway within the year. In addition to the work being undertaken by AWE, my right hon. Friend
the Secretary of State for Defence (Des Browne) announced in February
our offer to host a technical conference of scientists from the P5 nuclear
laboratories to discuss the issues surrounding the verification of nuclear
disarmament. Also, the UK is supporting a study by the International Institute
of Strategic Studies into the political and technical requirements for
a world free from nuclear weapons which will be published in September. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 5 Jun 2008 : Column 1062WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his statement at the UN Conference on Disarmament on 5 February 2008 that the UK is willing to host a technical conference of P5 nuclear laboratories on the verification of nuclear disarmament before the next Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 2010, what (a) date has been set and (b) practical arrangements have been made for the meeting; and if he will make a statement. [208850] Des Browne: In my offer to host a P5 conference between the laboratories
of the nuclear weapon states, I proposed that it should take place within
the current NPT review cycle ending in 2010. My intention remains that
this should be a P5 conference hosted by the UK rather than a UK conference
to which the P5 partners are invited. We are actively engaging with our
P5 partners to ensure that this conference will also meet their requirements
in terms of timing and content. I will keep the House informed of progress. Nuclear Energy: Plutonium and Uranium Stocks, House of Lords, Written Statement, 22 May 2008 : Column WS102The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office & Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Lord Jones of Birmingham): My honourable friend the Minister of State for Energy (Malcolm Wicks) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The department will be placing the figures for the United Kingdom's stocks of civil plutonium and uranium as at 31 December 2007 in the Libraries of both Houses. In accordance with our commitment under the Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium, we will also send the figures to the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who will circulate them to member states. The figures will be available on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the IAEA websites. The figures show that stocks of unirradiated plutonium in the UK totalled 108.0 tonnes at the end of 2007. Changes from the corresponding figures for 2006 are a consequence of continuing reprocessing operations (eg as reflected in the increased quantity of unirradiated separated plutonium in product stores at reprocessing plants). The main reason for the change in high enriched uranium (HEU) stocks was the transfer to waste of recharacterised historic operational residues. The increase in the civil depleted, natural and low enriched uranium figures reflects the increased stocks at the UK enrichment plant. The stocks of civil plutonium and uranium in future years will be published
on the HSE and IAEA websites without a Written Statement. Non-Proliferation Treaty, Written Answers, 13 May 2008 : Column 1477WMr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on securing a Non-Proliferation Treaty review in 2010. Mr. Jim Murphy: The non-proliferation treaty is subject to a review cycle, with the next review in 2010. Prior to 2010 the UK will use the NPT Preparatory Committee to take forward work to strengthen the treaty. The UK will promote consensus around key measures encompassing the treaty's three pillars-zero tolerance of proliferation; 13 May 2008 : Column 1478W safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology; and reinvigorated
commitment to a world free from nuclear weapons. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 7 May 2008 : Column 933WAdam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps have been taken by the Government towards nuclear disarmament under the terms of Article 6 of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Dr. Howells: The UK is strongly committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and we are fulfilling all of our Treaty obligations, including those on disarmament under Article VI. We have reduced our nuclear platform to one delivery system, Trident, and have significantly reduced the operational status of that system. We have recently met our commitment to a further 20 per cent. reduction in the stockpile of operationally available warheads, contributing to a 75 per cent. reduction in the explosive power of the UK nuclear arsenal since the end of the Cold War. In addition the UK is pursuing a programme to develop expertise in verifying
the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons internationally. The
aim of the study has been to examine and trial potential methodologies
which could be used in a future multilateral nuclear disarmament regime.
This work is continuing at the Atomic Weapons Establishment and will be
presented to the 2008 NPT Preparatory Committee in Geneva. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 25 Apr 2008 : Column 2299WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) financial and (b) in kind contributions the Atomic Weapons Establishment has made to the (i) International Atomic Energy Agency and (ii) Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the field of verification techniques in the last five years. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: AWE is a member of the IAEA's Network of Analytical Laboratories that analyse environmental samples collected by the IAEA's Department of Safeguards. Over the past five years, analytical work to the value of £417,000 has been carried out at AWE. This work is performed under the UK Support Programme for IAEA safeguards, funded by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. AWE has not provided any support to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution Atomic Weapons Establishment verification researchers made to the Royal Society's report on Detecting Nuclear and Radiological Materials; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Personnel from the Atomic Weapons Establishment
participated in a two-day workshop run by the Royal Society in December
2007. The findings from this workshop formed the basis for the Royal Society's
report on Detecting Nuclear and Radiological Materials. Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, Written Answers, 24 Apr 2008 : Column 2197WMr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the steps towards nuclear disarmament agreed at the 2000 review conference on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Dr. Howells: The UK is fulfilling all its obligations under the
treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT), including those
on disarmament under article VI of the treaty. We continue to support
the relevant disarmament measures contained in the final document from
the NPT Review Conference in 2000, including the 13 practical steps towards
disarmament, and we have a good record on meeting the priorities they
set out. Not all the 13 steps are relevant to the UK, such as those relating
to bilateral measures between the US and Russia. Nuclear Disarmament, Written Answers, 24 Apr 2008 : Column 2178WMr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to publish confidence-building verification methodologies for monitoring nuclear disarmament; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Atomic Weapons Establishment is engaged in developing technical methods and processes for verifying multilateral nuclear disarmament both nationally and in co-operation with several Norwegian defence laboratories. Progress is presented periodically to the conferences of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and related fora. Additionally, in his speech to the Conference on Disarmament in February
this year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence proposed
the development of confidence building activities among the five recognised
Nuclear Weapon States (NWS). This proposal has generated considerable
interest among the wider international community. We are engaging with
the other NWS to consider how this initiative should be taken forward. Nuclear Weapons, House of Lords Written Answers, 3 Apr 2008 : Column WA200Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 12 March (WA 240-1), what specific proposals for creating a nuclear weapon-free world and to support zero tolerance of proliferation they propose to take to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee meeting from 28 April to 9 May. The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown):
Our primary objective for the 2008 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting will be to continue to develop the
conditions for a successful outcome to the 2010 NPT Review Conference,
essentially a strengthened NPT and seeking to make it harder for countries
to withdraw from the NPT. The UK will present the preliminary findings
of our research into the verification of nuclear disarmament, which the
Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston has been working on in conjunction
with Norwegian defence laboratories and the non-governmental organisation
Verification Research, Training and Information Centre. We will also discuss
with key states the UK proposals for an enrichment bond and a UN Security
Council permanent members' Nuclear Laboratories Conference. In our national
statements, we will continue to call for the start of negotiations without
preconditions on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty and for those states
who have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty. Nuclear Fuels, Written Answers, 22 Apr 2008 : Column 1973WMr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2008, Official Report, column 2791W, on nuclear fuels, what the UK's objectives are for the 17 to 18 April conference on nuclear fuel cycle arrangements. Dr. Howells: Together with our German and Dutch co-hosts we aim
to bring together countries that are considering introducing nuclear energy
and countries that have specific experience in nuclear fuel supply to
share expertise and best practice. We will listen to states' views on
the Multilateral Nuclear Approaches agenda. This will help in developing
a viable regime of nuclear fuel assurances under the International Atomic
Energy Agency auspices that will support states' rights to the safe, secure
and peaceful use of nuclear technology. Nuclear Fuels, Written Answers, 6 Mar 2008 : Column 2790WMr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in securing international agreement to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) administered mechanism for reliable access to nuclear fuel since it was presented to the IAEA Board of Governors' meeting, 12 to 15 June 2006; and if he will make a statement. David Miliband: Detailed proposals comprising nuclear fuel assurances,
enriched uranium reserves and new multinational enrichment facilities
have been put forward by Germany, Russia, the United States, the UK and
others. Many are complementary and compatible. The UK Enrichment Bond
is an assurance of supply initiative. The UK, Germany and the Netherlands
will host a conference on 17-18 April to bring together potential customer
and supplier States to exchange views and inform further development of
these proposals. We expect at least two proposals to be discussed at the
June 2008 International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors. Back to Proliferation in Parliament, Summer 2008 © 2008 The Acronym Institute. |